South Korea considers visa exemption for Vietnamese

That is the information given by a representative of the Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City at a visa policy seminar on the morning of August 23 in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Mr. You Sang Byun, Consular Visa Department, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City: Information about visa relaxation was given during the recent State-level trip of General Secretary To Lam . During the high-level talks, the Korean side proposed building a more open policy, aiming at the possibility of visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens. "I hope that in the near future, Vietnamese people may not need to apply for a visa anymore," he shared.

According to Mr. You Sang Byun, in 2024, there will be 4.5 million Korean visitors to Vietnam, and in the first half of 2025, the number will reach 2 million. On the other hand, in 2024, there will be 650,000 Vietnamese visitors to Korea, and in the first 6 months of 2025, there will be 420,000 visitors. Vietnam currently ranks 4th among the countries with the most visitors to Korea, after China, Japan and the US.

Mr. You Sang Byun, Consular Visa Department, Consulate General of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City shared some visa policies on the morning of August 23.

PHOTO: LE NAM

Mr. You Sang Byun acknowledged that this achievement was thanks to the efforts of both governments in improving visa policies and upgrading tourism infrastructure. Vietnam has expanded its infrastructure and extended the length of stay for Korean visitors. In return, Korea has also applied many support policies: exempting electronic group visa application fees, shortening the processing time, establishing visa registration centers and allowing travel agencies to submit applications on behalf of visitors.

"We have tried to make it easier for people to apply for a visa to Korea, including an electronic visa. In fact, Korean visas are no longer affixed to passports like before, but people can print them directly on the website," he added.

At the discussion, Mr. Nguyen Duc Minh Tri (Nam A Chau Tourism Company) frankly raised the issue: "Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was very easy for our guests to apply for visas. But now, it is almost impossible to apply for any group. Why is there such a difference?".

The representative of the Korean Consulate General affirmed that the examination of documents is fair to all travel companies, without discrimination. However, the visa issuance results depend largely on the nature of the customer's documents. "We can only evaluate based on the information submitted, so companies need to ensure that their documents are complete and in accordance with regulations. If so, we will handle them fairly," Mr. You Sang Byun emphasized.

Another hot issue raised is the situation of tourists "sneaking" to stay in Korea. Mr. Trinh Nguyen Hung Dung, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Golf Tourism Association, called this an "occupational accident" and questioned the sanctions for businesses.

Mr. You Sang Byun said that the Korean side records and evaluates the achievements of travel companies based on their records. If many customers do not return, businesses will have difficulty in applying for visas in the future.

Travel agencies strive to control the situation of tourists... skipping groups

PHOTO: LE NAM

According to experts, to realize the visa exemption policy, there needs to be close coordination from travel agencies and awareness from tourists themselves. If the rate of "abandoning" decreases, the door to favorable tourism between Vietnam and Korea can be opened wide in the near future.

Mr. You Sang Byun emphasized: "If things go well, in the next 5 years, Vietnamese people going to Korea will not have to apply for a visa. But if this situation continues, the process will be difficult."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/han-quoc-can-nhac-mien-visa-cho-nguoi-viet-185250823102559882.htm